Details and photographs were released Friday of a suspect in the March shootings of two Greater Toronto Area synagogues, with the Toronto Police Service and York Regional Police seeking the public's aid in identifying him.
A thinly built, over 6-foot-tall black male youth with curly hair was being sought for his suspected role in the shooting at the Shaarei Shomayim synagogue and Beth Avraham Yoseph of Toronto (the BAYT) in March.
The suspect had allegedly fired at the BAYT on March 6, causing damage to the synagogue's front doors. Two people were inside the house of worship at the time, but were not injured. The suspect also allegedly fired shots at Shaarei Shomayim in March, again damaging a front entrance.
The two incidents were preceded by a March 2 shooting at the Temple Emanu‑El synagogue, leaving multiple bullet holes in the synagogue's front windows.
Vaughan synagogue congregant attacked
On Saturday, a Vaughan synagogue congregant was punched by a man who attempted to intrude into the house of worship.
A man, reportedly of Middle Eastern background and unknown to the synagogue, had attempted to enter the Sephardic Kehila Center, but upon questioning, he admitted he was not there to attend prayer services.
The man attempted to maneuver past synagogue security but was unsuccessful and, upon departing, discarded papers that appeared to contain verses from the Psalms.
The intruder then allegedly attempted to block the path of a congregant walking with his son to prayer services. The congregant moved past the suspect, but the intruder allegedly punched him in the face. According to the police and synagogue, the victim did not suffer serious injuries.
York Regional Police announced on Wednesday that they were seeking the public's aid in identifying the assailant.